outgoing
Meaning
(of a person) friendly and energetic and finding it easy and enjoyable to be with others
leaving a place, position, or job
going out or away from a place
Structure
Usage
She has a very outgoing and confident personality.
The outgoing president will hand over power next week.
All outgoing flights have been delayed due to the storm.
Etymology
The word "outgoing" is a transparent compound formed from native English elements. It originates from the combination of the adverb "out," denoting direction away from a point, and the verb "go," meaning to move or proceed. The suffix "-ing" was added to form a present participle, which then solidified into an adjective. The semantic evolution is straightforward: the literal sense of "going out" or "departing" (as in an outgoing tide or official) was naturally extended in the 17th century to describe a person's sociable personality, metaphorically conceptualized as one whose energies and affections readily move outward toward others.
Analysis
- out: Old English origin, meaning "outward, outside, away." Functions as a directional prefix. - go: Old English origin, meaning "to move, proceed." Functions as the core verb root. - ing: Old English origin, a suffix forming present participles and adjectives from verbs. Functions as an adjective-forming suffix.